Metro Classic Preview 2026-27

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Final 2025-26 Standings</strong><br><br>1. Racine Lutheran 13-1 (23-4); 2. Racine St. Catherine's 11-3 (25-4); 3. Martin Luther 8-6 (13-12); 4. Kenosha St. Joseph 7-7 (16-10); 5. (tie) Dominican 5-9 (11-15); 5. (tie) Shoreland Lutheran 5-9 (17-10); 7. St. Thomas More 4-10 (10-15); 8. The Prairie School 3-11 (10-16)<br><br><strong>2026-27 Picks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/racine-lutheran/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/racine-lutheran/">Racine Lutheran</a> -- Former assistant coach Tyler Hughes is replacing Justin Hullum as head coach on an interim basis this winter. Hullum, who hopes to return as the Crusaders' coach in the future, led Racine Lutheran to a 23-4 record and the Metro Classic Conference title in 2025-26. Replacing Sam Pitrof (24.8 ppg) and Isaiah Cosey (10.8 ppg) will be a challenge, but at the same time the Crusaders boast one of the elite backcourts in the league with the return of senior twins [player_tooltip player_id='2140959' first='Michael' last='Pratt-Hassan'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2428823' first='Mikhi' last='Pratt-Hassan'] (6-1). The Pratt-Hassan brothers are potential double-figure scorers and very strong perimeter defenders. Wings [player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'] (6-2), [player_tooltip player_id='2833117' first='Deeon' last='Brumby'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2423534' first='Max' last='Contreras'] (6-2) and [player_tooltip player_id='2365287' first='Trenton' last='House'] (6-0) also return for a deep, quick and balanced team. Austin earned first-team all-league recognition after averaging 13.1 ppg and 6.7 rpg. <br><br>2.<a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/martin-luther/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/martin-luther/"> Martin Luther</a> -- Coach Demonte Bynum starts his second year at Martin Luther after a stint as the head coach at Heritage Christian with an experienced lineup as three starters are back from a 13-12 squad. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2431222' first='Noah' last='Tyler'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='2381443' first='Keneson' last='Wiggins'] (6-2) and [player_tooltip player_id='2140939' first='Jordan' last='Blockton'] (6-3) give the Spartans a solid core to build around. Tyler is the top returning scorer (15.8 ppg) and rebounder (7.0 rpg) for Martin Luther, which also welcomes back seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2408737' first='Jamerion' last='Coleman'] (5-10) and [player_tooltip player_id='2841177' first='Messiah' last='Harmon'] (6-2) along with the talented sophomore trio of [player_tooltip player_id='2918896' first='Rmani' last='Watson'] (6-4), [player_tooltip player_id='2371541' first='Semaji' last='Pruitt'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2918879' first='Treyvonn' last='Williams'] (6-3). Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='3648489' first='Jordan' last='Deans'] (6-8) could provide some help on the Spartans' frontline.<br><br>3.<a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/kenosha-st-joseph/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/kenosha-st-joseph/"> Kenosha St. Joseph</a> -- Coming off a 16-10 season, coach Kyle Clark will look to his three returning starters to provide leadership and toughness for the Lancers. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2763283' first='Charlie' last='Guttormsen'] (5-10) along with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'] (6-0) give St. Joseph a solid nucleus. Kenesie, a four-year varsity player who has committed to Northern Iowa for football, averaged 21.0 ppg and 5.6 rpg as a junior while Garibay, a strong shooter, contributed 12.5 ppg and 3.1 rpg. Guttormsen added 4.3 ppg while improving junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2401618' first='Eric' last='McCray'] (5-1) pitched in 6.5 ppg and 2.2 rpg. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3138428' first='Tino' last='Santarelli'] (5-11) and [player_tooltip player_id='3717214' first='Henry' last='McTernan'] (5-10) along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='3552939' first='Max' last='Peyette'] (6-2), [player_tooltip player_id='2842286' first='Mason' last='Gename'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='3880527' first='Dominic' last='Sturino'] (6-1) also could be factors for St. Joseph. The Lancers have a strong freshmen class as well that is anchored by [player_tooltip player_id='3680565' first='Mihailo' last='Pupovac'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2859540' first='Brayden' last='Knight'] (6-0).<br><br>4.<a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/the-prairie-school/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/the-prairie-school/"> The Prairie School</a> -- The Hawks could very well be the most improved squad in the Metro Classic as coach Jason Atanasoff boasts a veteran team full of scoring punch and versatility. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2140901' first='Chandler' last='Perry'] (6-3), [player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'] (6-5) and [player_tooltip player_id='2508306' first='Ryan' last='Vanoss'] (6-5) are returning starters and multi-year varsity performers for the Hawks. Ditto for junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2503099' first='Emmett' last='Wassil'] (6-3). Those four players form a very solid core for The Prairie School as all four started for the Hawks' 2024-25 squad that played in the WIAA Division 4 State Tournament. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2399561' first='Owen' last='Jedlicka'] (6-6) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2550915' first='Hunter' last='Greb'] (5-11) could be in the mix along with senior [player_tooltip player_id='3022533' first='Andrew' last='Radke'] (5-10), junior [player_tooltip player_id='2826446' first='Cooper' last='Tollaksen'] (5-11) and sophomore Sam Yunker (5-10). Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2369886' first='DaMar' last='Bell'] (6-4) looks to break into the rotation as well for the Hawks. <br><br>5. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/dominican/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/dominican/">Dominican</a> -- With dynamic senior [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zeak' last='Jones'] (6-4) back for his senior season, Dominican will be a threat to win just about any game on its challenging schedule. But in order for the Knights to make a move on the Metro Classic Conference title, first-year coach Marc Mitchell will need others to step up and help Jones, a NCAA Division I recruit for Northern Illinois who averaged 25.9 points and 6.9 rebounds as a junior for an 11-15 squad. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='3157915' first='Xavier' last='Smith'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2845408' first='Da'Vaion' last='Powell'] (6-3) along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2371656' first='Dazhaun' last='Biami-Jackson'] (6-3) and [player_tooltip player_id='2457145' first='Elias' last='Estrada'] Jr. (6-2) return and figure to contend for starting roles alongside some talented newcomers. The group of potential breakthrough candidates includes sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='3726272' first='Makhi' last='(Woo) Jackson'] (6-4), [player_tooltip player_id='2952533' first='Micah' last='Anderson'] (6-2) and [player_tooltip player_id='3539596' first='Jude' last='Slaasted'] (6-5) along with freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='2487743' first='Elgin' last='Cook Jr.'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2404462' first='Jahir' last='Craig'] (5-7).<br><br>6. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/racine-st-catherines/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/racine-st-catherines/">Racine St. Catherine's </a>-- The Angels rode the strong play of Lamont Hamilton (26 ppg), EJ Vinson Jr. (12 ppg), AC Ward (10 ppg), Antoine Ozier Jr. (7 ppg) and Richard Watson (5 ppg) all the way to the WIAA Division 3 state championship last March. St. Catherine's finished 25-4 behind that talented group, but all five graduated last spring, leaving coach Ryan Thompson with lots of holes to fill in his lineup. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2954990' first='Jayden' last='Phillips'] (5-10) is the most experienced player back for the Angels as he came off the bench to average 10 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='3103111' first='Jack' last='Aleman'] (6-2) and [player_tooltip player_id='3103116' first='Quinton' last='Zamecnik'] (6-2) also return while Thompson looks for sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='3559045' first='Karmelo' last='Hunter'] (6-0), [player_tooltip player_id='3559705' first='Jeremiah' last='Stephens'] (6-0) and [player_tooltip player_id='2541803' first='Korben' last='Sugars'] (5-8) to also be in the rotation for the Angels.<br><br>7. <a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/shoreland-lutheran/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/shoreland-lutheran/">Shoreland Lutheran</a> -- Size, depth and senior leadership are the listed strengths by coach Paul Strutz for this year's Shoreland Lutheran basketball squad. The Pacers went 17-10 last winter and welcome back two starters in do-everything senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2831276' first='John' last='Roehl'] (6-3) along with senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2982406' first='Riley' last='Jacobsen'] (6-3). Roehl averaged 15.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg as a junior and ranks as one of the better athletes in the Metro Classic. Jacobsen contributed 4.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg while seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3142062' first='Gideon' last='Schable'] (5-11), [player_tooltip player_id='3142067' first='Thomas' last='Zondag'] (6-5) and [player_tooltip player_id='3142064' first='Jeffery' last='Zondag'] (6-5) also return. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2525475' first='Genesis' last='Watts'] (6-4) and [player_tooltip player_id='3166842' first='Aiden' last='Malliet'] (6-7) could play big roles along with several newcomers from a JV1 team that finished 16-7. <br><br>8.<a href="https://prephoops.com/team/wi/st-thomas-more/" data-type="link" data-id="prephoops.com/team/wi/st-thomas-more/"> St. Thomas More </a>-- Youth will be served at St. Thomas More as coach Tony Mane figures to rely heavily on three class of 2029 prospects in an effort to replace five starters from a 10-15 squad. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2839308' first='Jakobe' last='Cruz'] (5-8), [player_tooltip player_id='2407956' first='Nolan' last='Cassidy'] (6-1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2885023' first='Dezmin' last='Barnett-Nelson'] (6-2) earned varsity minutes as freshmen and figure to be key players along with seniors [player_tooltip player_id='3022414' first='Brody' last='Alivo'] (6-1), [player_tooltip player_id='3022413' first='John' last='Pica-Melendez'] (6-3) and [player_tooltip player_id='2842251' first='Aiden' last='Knitter'] (5-11). Freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id='2881866' first='Jerome' last='Wardlow Jr.'] (6-1) also could be in the mix for the Cavaliers, who hope to utilize their quickness and athleticism to make things tough on opponents.<br><strong><br>Top Returning Scorers</strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zeak' last='Jones'], Dominican (25.9 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'], St. Joseph (21.0 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2431222' first='Noah' last='Tyler'], Martin Luther (15.8 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2831276' first='John' last='Roehl'], Shoreland Lutheran (15.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140901' first='Chandler' last='Perry'], The Prairie School (14.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'], Racine Lutheran (13.1 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'], St. Joseph (12.5 ppg)<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'], The Prairie School (10.8 ppg)<br><br><strong>Projected All-Conference Teams<br>First Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zeak' last='Jones'], 6-4, Sr., Dominican<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'], 6-1, Sr., St. Joseph<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2431222' first='Noah' last='Tyler'], 6-1, Sr., Martin Luther<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'], 6-2, Sr., Racine Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140901' first='Chandler' last='Perry'], 6-3, Sr., The Prairie School<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2428823' first='Mikhi' last='Pratt-Hassan'], 6-1, Sr., Racine Lutheran<br><br><strong>Second Team</strong><br>[player_tooltip player_id='3157915' first='Xavier' last='Smith'], 6-1, Soph., Dominican<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'], 6-0, Jr., St. Joseph<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2140959' first='Michael' last='Pratt-Hassan'], 6-1, Sr., Racine Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2954990' first='Jayden' last='Phillips'], 5-10, Sr., Racine St. Catherine's<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2831276' first='John' last='Roehl'], 6-3, Sr., Shoreland Lutheran<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'], 6-5, Sr., The Prairie School<br><br><strong>The Big Five</strong><br><strong>Top Shooter:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'], St. Joseph<br><strong>Top Defender: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2428823' first='Mikhi' last='Pratt-Hassan'], Racine Lutheran<br><strong>Top Rebounder: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2431222' first='Noah' last='Tyler'], Martin Luther<br><strong>Best Collegiate Prospect:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zeak' last='Jones'], Dominican<br><strong>Most Improved:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2508306' first='Ryan' last='Vanoss'], The Prairie School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->